Watercraft used for sport fishing take many forms, depending on the type of sport fishing done, the nature of the water where the fishing is done, and the personal preferences of the angler.
Skiffs, canoes, rowboats and kayaks have been widely used for years for sport fishing. In recent years, fishing watercraft employing inflatable tubes, floats, pontoons or sponsons, and designed for use by a single angler, or occasionally by two anglers, have become popular for sport fishing. Such craft as the float tubes and pontoon boats made by Bucks Bags, Inc. of Boise, Id., are well-known and widely used for sport fishing. While these watercraft perform admirably, they are single-purpose craft, and are not generally useful for other water-based recreational activities.
There are other types of small watercraft designed for general recreational use, which can also be used for sport fishing. Of particular interest in this regard are small inflatable rafts such as the Caravelle and Fish Hunter rafts distributed by Sevylor U.S.A., Inc. of Los Angeles, Calif. and the Sea Eagle rafts, produced by Sea Eagle Products of Port Jefferson, N.Y. The rafts are relatively inexpensive, and can be used for such recreational applications as yacht tenders, transportation to camping facilities accessible only by water, and increasing the safety and enjoyment of swimming and bathing. While they can be used in their as-purchased form for fishing, they are much less comfortable and convenient than watercraft designed specifically for that sport. In particular, for such very popular types of fishing as fly casting or bait or plug casting in rivers, lakes and ponds, the seats are too low or non-existent, and the craft are awkward to row from a position used for fishing. Ideally, a watercraft for sport fishing should provide a swivelable seat positioned slightly above the sides of the craft, high enough above the floor of the watercraft to permit a comfortable seated position for the user, with oarlocks conveniently positioned for rowing. Provisions for deploying an anchor, or a drag would also be desirable. (A drag, generally consisting of a bundle of short segments of chain attached to a line, are used to slow down the drift of a boat, and keep the bow of a boat headed upstream or upwind as it drifts under the influence of current or wind.) The seat and oarlock positioning in such pontoon boats for fishing as the “Southfork”, manufactured by Bucks Bags, Inc. of Boise, Id., or the “PAC 800, manufactured by Outcast Sporting Gear, also of Boise, Id., are ideal for fishing.
An inexpensive attachment which can render such general-purpose recreational watercraft as inflatable rafts more suitable for sport fishing would be a very useful addition to the sporting equipment arena.
Hull et al. (U.S. Pat. No. 5,101,753) describe a seat attachment advantageous for fishing for use on an inflatable raft equipped with a mounting board for an outboard motor. The seat is attached to and supported in part by the mounting board. The attachment of Hull et al. is suitable only for inflatable rafts equipped with a motor mounting board. In addition, it requires the use of a rigid floor in the raft, since the seat attachment is supported, in part, by legs resting on the floor.
Lee (U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,507,244 & 5,325,806) describes a seat and accessory mounting attachment for inflatable rafts, canoes and kayaks comprising a relatively rigid frame resting on the floor of the inflatable craft to distribute the weight of the seat and occupant over the floor. The attachment of Lee does not distribute the weight of attachment and occupant over the full width of the inflatable craft, with resultant decreased lateral stability against tipping or rolling, particularly if it is desired that the seat be elevated above the gunwales or inflated sides of the craft. The attachment of Lee does not provide a swivelable seat or oarlock mounting means.
Rawson (U.S. Pat. No. 4,290,156) teaches a seat and oarlock attachment for an inflatable raft supported from the gunwales, with transverse cross-members supporting a seat. In the attachment of Rawson, the seat is suspended below the cross-members. It does not provide for a swivelable seat, nor can the seat be mounted above the gunwales, as is desirable.
Casey et al. (U.S. Pat. No. 3,694,835) teach a rigid frame which can support a swivelable seat, the frame being enclosed within an inflatable O-shaped tube similar to a tire inner-tube. The device taught by Casey et al. requires the inflatable tube to have an open bottom, which would have little use as a general purpose watercraft upon removal of the frame.
Andresen (U.S. Pat. No. 2,815,517) teaches an attachment comprising a seat equipped with extension arms upon which oarlocks are mounted. The attachment of Andresen is clamped to the gunwales of a watercraft such as a canoe, and is not adaptable for use with an inflatable raft.
While all of the above devices appear workable, these devices, and all other similar attachments known to the inventor of the present invention, suffer from drawbacks, and have not found widespread acceptance. Thus there is a need for a low-cost, simple, durable attachment for inflatable rafts to make such rafts more suitable for sport fishing. The attachment should be easy to attach to and detach from the raft, so the raft can be easily used for other recreation purposes for which it is suited.